Starting May 26, Lux Express will add nine double-decker buses, custom adapted to local conditions, to its Tallinn-Tartu route. These new buses, which will serve on-the-hour departures in both directions, will add more than 500 seats a day between Estonia's two largest cities.

Meanwhile, passenger rail operator Elron is gearing up to launch its new trains, with some set to serve between Tallinn and Tartu.

"Currently, there are 11-12 departures a day in each direction on the Tallinn-Tartu route," noted Elron communications director Kristo Mäe. "When these new trains enter service, which is planned for next year, we're planning on 16 departures and around 1,500 additional seats a day."

The two transport companies expect to attract additional riders, primarily from those currently traveling by car.

"The fiercest competition is between cars and public transport," noted Lux Express CEO Ingmar Roos. "Although both the train and Lux Express are raising their standards, the goal is to draw more people to switch from cars to buses. Various studies show that about 80 percent of intercity travel today is by car."

"The main competitor for passenger transport companies — especially between Tallinn and Tartu — is cars," Mäe acknowledged. "And the flow of cars between Tallinn and Tartu hasn't yet subsided; there's probably room for everyone. Right now, passenger demand on the Tallinn-Tartu route exceeds the capacity buses and trains can provide."

Bus company still wants extra Central Tallinn stop

Lux Express hopes to lure more passengers with more central stops in both cities.

"Passengers prefer to travel by bus if they can get as close as possible to their final destination, and this is vital on the Tallinn-Tartu route as well," Roos explained.

"On the Tartu side, we've been stopping for years at Tartu Town Hall Square, and about a third of passengers get off the bus there," he continued. "With the introduction of double-decker buses on the route, we're trying to reach an agreement to bring arriving passengers closer to the city center in Tallinn as well — to around Rävala puiestee and Solaris."

The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture warmly welcomed the planned increases in departures and passenger capacity.

"The golden rule of public transport is that the more frequent the service, the more freedom people have to use public transport," said Andres Ruubas, head of the ministry's Public Transport Department. "The biggest issue with public transport is that it cannot be used at all times. The more departures there are, the more options people have."

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